Saturday, January 27, 2018

Different behaviorial scientists have experimented on the impact of various wild and domesticated animals from time to time, and while many of them do respond and like a certain type of music, especially the classical one, the heavy metal and certain type of sharp music does not go well with many of them.
The fluke worked in a village in Uttrakhand, when the villagers thought of playing some loud rock music, especially the fap singer Honey Singh's songs that scared the hell out of the wild pigs who have opted out of it.
The wild pigs were spoiling the crop and hence the move.
The villagers wanted to make human presence known to the wild ones, and nothing better than communicating their territorial rights than playing music though I don't know what made them chose Honey Singh.
Did they try other forms of music?
Or was it their sixth sense that Honey Singh's rap was scary enough to take care of the problem.
Worth researching further.

Friday, January 19, 2018

As I explore the various professional views on the emerging trends, the key message for the PR practitioners, that has been very aptly provided the thematic treatment in the forthcoming 12th Global Communication Conclave at Pune in March is “Transform or Perish”

#Transformation is the well-planned strategic action to manage change, and upgrade oneself to meet the changing exigencies in the business environment.

It is time also to have a relook at our own professional standing and practice. PR being the science and art of managing communication for an individual or organization, the science of communication is an imperative change that needs to be understood and imbibed, and I won’t mind calling the PR practitioners as PR or Communication Scientists.

Looking at the transformation needed in managing communication is to understand some of the emerging trends in the industry, which include :

Making the best use of Big Data and data analytics.Research shall continue to be the mainstay for the organizational success. Deploying data analysts would be sine qua non to predict future courses and meet customer needs.

Artificial intelligence would continue to evolve to assist in analyzing brand conversations;

Emerging intelligent chatbots may help engage with different stakeholders and even developing creative content under keen supervision of the PR scientists.

Paid versus earned media continues to baffle many PR practitioners since paid print media is often detested or kept out of media strategies, while huge sums get allocated on ‘influencers’ marketing, which is also in a way is turning out to be a paid online channel.Need is to analyise the key stakeholders and their media consumption instead of just playing the number game.

Ethics in communication would help us get back to the basic and build credibility and trust in our professional practice would be the key to strengthening reputation and public image of any organization.

Fight obsolence in PR education and training would be another key initiative or professional bodies to match the changing industry needs.

Mandatory membership of professional bodies like PRCI and participation in training and education sessions in order to earn minimum annual credits as a part of Continued Communication Education & Training (CCET) programme, would be another transformation to be brought in so that professional practice is upgraded.

Monday, January 15, 2018

Each year the World Standards Organisation brings into focus the significance of standardisation that can help improve lives and, this year, it says, standardisation can help cities become smart cities.

One of the key elements in standardisation of visual identity of the city. Many cities around the world have created their own unique identity through distinct logos that represent the ethos of the city and vision of its leadership and people living there.

Chandigarh for instance has Open Hand monument to represent the city, and similar identities exist across the globe.

And consistence use of those visuals across all communication helps the organisation develop a close trust and credibility with the people.

Fadilah Baharin, CEO of Department of Standards Malaysia, and member of the International Organisation for Standardisation, says, “I believe standards instil trust. Standards are no longer about product differentiation but about creating a uniform experience that gives your customers confidence in your products and services. The differentiation and marketing edge now lies in how successfully your brand or organization has been able to build and nurture consumer relationships that are sustainable, solely by promising the same ‘quality’ and ‘experience’ every single time.”

The same holds true for any organisation. Standardisation in visual identity is the first step towards winning confidence and trust of one's stakeholders.